After service in World War II, New Jersey born Buzz Kulik joined an advertising agency as a producer-director of TV commercials. After a few years he left the agency and became a television director during the period known as "The Golden Age of Television"; Kulik directed many episodes of such highly respected anthology series as Playhouse 90 (1956) and You Are There (1953), in addition to such series as The Defenders (1961) and The Twilight Zone (1959). Kulik began directing features in the early 1960s but returned to television to become one of the most respected directors in the genre known as the made-for-TV movie, one of his most notable efforts being the highly acclaimed Brian's Song (1971). During the 1971-72 presidential campaign Kulik was the television advisor to Democratic candidate Sen. Edmund Muskie.